The TORONTO 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games are less than a month away and the city of Toronto will be buzzing with activities, athletes and spectators. The Games are a great opportunity for Ontario residents to take advantage of all that is being offered this summer and participate in the action. And Cisco is proud to be a Premier Partner of the TORONTO 2015 Games and its Official Information and Communications Technology Provider, providing the network and communications infrastructure to power the Games.

But while the city is abuzz with PANAMANIA, presented by CIBC, businesses across the Greater Toronto Area will be asking themselves one question: how can they ensure employees remain productive and connected – no matter where they are – during the Games?

One solution is clear: technology. But how can GTA businesses use technology to maximize employee productivity this summer?

To answer that question – and a few others – I sat down with Jason Thorsby, Director of Collaboration Systems Engineering at Cisco Canada, to discuss how technology can help companies prepare for the Games.

Andrea Dil: With the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games approaching, how best should companies prepare themselves for the volume of people in the city?

Jason Thorsby: Companies should consider adopting a “work from anywhere” philosophy. This will save their employees the burden of having to deal with traffic, as well as allow them to be as productive on the go as they would be in the office.

AD: At Cisco, the “work from anywhere” culture is embedded in our DNA. While a lot of companies have embraced this philosophy, there are many still who are hesitant to give their employees flexibility to work anywhere. What would you tell organizations that are resistant to this?

JT: If you enable your employees with the proper collaboration tools, you will find your teams can be just as effective working virtually as they are in the office. Teams can work together and be innovative without having to sit in the same room.

AD: Which collaboration tools would you recommend all organizations use to get Games ready?

JT: There are three tools organizations can use to properly enable their employees to work from anywhere while still staying in touch:

WebEx Conferencing allows employees to meet virtually and still be as productive as being in the office. You can meet with anyone inside or outside your organization, share documents and record meetings. We actually have a special summer offer: three months for $3,000 which includes voice, web and video conferencing. Sign Up to Learn More

Spark is a team work application for those on the go. Cisco® Spark creates a place for teams to work together and a way to stay connected to it all. You can even attend be at a Games event and stay in touch with colleagues, customers and suppliers! Spark works on your mobile device and on your desktop so you can continue working, no matter where you are. It also integrates with document management platforms like Box, Dropbox and Google Drive so you can upload documents on the go. Download Spark for free now.

Try it with video instead. If your organization is looking to truly enable employees to work from anywhere, studies have shown that video collaboration enables new ideas to move faster with a higher degree of quality. For TO2015 and beyond, I suggest all companies seriously consider how video can transform their business.

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About Andrea Dil

Andrea Dil is the Cisco Canada Marketing Manager, Collaboration. She manages the strategic planning around Cisco’s Collaboration marketing campaigns in Canada, from brand awareness & relevancy to demand generation. Andrea is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Andrea Dil est Marketing Manager, Collaboration du Cisco Canada. Elle gère la planification stratégique autour des campagnes de marketing de collaboration de Cisco au Canada, de la notoriété de la marque & de pertinence à la génération de la demande. Andrea est diplômé de l’Université de Winnipeg et détient un titulaire d’un MBA en Marketing et Stratégie de la Schulich School of Business de l’Université York.

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